1. Field of Innovation
The present innovation relates generally to multi-cell batteries and, in one possible embodiment, to a lightweight monitoring network with minimal connections that may be utilized to safely balance the charge in individual battery cells and/or groups of battery cells.
2. Description of Related Art
High power batteries generally comprise series connections of many cells or cell banks. Examples of high voltage batteries include battery cell arrays for hybrid cars, aerospace/spacecraft applications, telecommunication power supplies, computer power supplies, uninterruptible power supplies, electric utility energy storage, commercial applications, and the like.
High voltage batteries may be of different types including lithium-ion cells, fuel cells, other electrochemical cells, and the like. Batteries may utilize different numbers of individual cells depending on the requirements of the system. For example, batteries may have a few cells, thirty or more cells, over one hundred cells, or more. Thus, the number of connections necessary to provide access to individual cells may be quite large.
In order to maintain high performance over battery life it is desirable to keep the state-of-charge of all the cell banks equal. For this purpose, the charger needs to be able to produce significant current (>1 Ampere) for quick cell balancing. While equalizing or balancing is possible by discharging the individual batteries, a preferred technique equalizes by charging rather than discharging. In general, only a few cells may need equalization charging, as compared with general charging that is applied to all cells. A preferred charger should be able to apply the charging current to those specific cells that need a boost.
Due to the high voltages and power produced by such batteries, it is desirable that DC isolation is provided for safety concerns in the process of balancing and/or monitoring. If there is a failure of a diode or transistor, which is part of many prior art charging systems, there is a need for built-in failure tolerance for safety concerns.
Prior art techniques for balancing charge have utilized various techniques including individual cell discharge for each cell bank, switched capacitors or transformers, and individual chargers on cell banks.
Individual chargers for cell banks are bulky. If the connectors are heavy or bulky, then they may be unsuitable for aerospace/spacecraft applications. Switch arrays to connect a single charger to cell banks are complicated, expensive, and involve safety concerns when switching high voltage DC. Prior art balancing systems typically do not have electrical isolation.
The following patents show prior art efforts regarding the above and other problems:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,659,237, to Divan, et al., issued Aug. 19, 1997, discloses a technique for charge equalization of a series connected string of battery cells. The secondary windings of a transformer having a single primary winding and multiple secondary windings are connected across each battery cell to be equalized. A single power converter applies a charging signal to the primary of the transformer, inducing a charging current in each secondary which is inversely related to the charge on the battery cells to be equalized. The transformer is preferably implemented as a coaxial winding transformer having low secondary-to-secondary winding coupling. The power converter is preferably implemented as a forward converter supplied with DC power from an adjustable DC power source. A source voltage provided by the DC source may preferably be adjusted during the course of charge equalization to preferentially direct charge to weaker cells. The charge equalization system may be used in combination with a bulk charging system to provide for both rapid charging of a battery string as well as equalization of the battery cells within the string.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,538,414, to Tsuruga, et al., issued Mar. 25, 2003, discloses an energy adjusting device which transfers energy charged in an arbitrary cell to the input/output terminals of a unit energy storage device. The energy adjusting device includes a transformer having a plurality of primary coils and a secondary coil mutually coupled magnetically but electrically insulated, switching circuits which open and close the circuits of the primary coils of the transformer connected to the arbitrary cell, a circuit connecting the secondary coil of the transformer via a rectifying circuit to the input/output terminals of the unit energy storage device, and a control circuit which, by operating the switching circuits, adjusts the amount of energy stored in the cells to a specific ratio with respect to the amount of energy stored by the unit energy storage device.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,888,910, to J. Zeng, issued Feb. 15, 2011; discloses techniques for sequencing a switched single capacitor for automatic equalization of batteries connected in series. In one embodiment, a battery equalizer includes a single capacitor, at least two switching circuits to be coupled to each of at least two batteries coupled in series. The battery equalizer further includes at least two driver circuits corresponding the at least two switching circuits and a controller. The controller is programmed to control the driver circuits in order to drive the switching circuits to sequentially couple the single capacitor to one of the batteries coupled in series during charging and/or discharging of the batteries. Only one of the switching circuits is turned on at a given time such that only one of the batteries is coupled to the single capacitor at the given time.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,932,694 to Watanabe, et al., issued Apr. 26, 2011, discloses a battery charger configured to use one of two or more power supplies including a commercial AC power supply and a DC power supply. An AC cable is fixedly secured to the body of the battery charger and a DC cable is detachably connected to the body of the battery charger. A single transformer is employed that has a first primary winding to which the AC power supply is connected a first switching element, a second primary winding to which the DC power supply is connected via a second switching element, and a secondary winding to which a battery pack to be charged is coupled.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,880,433, to Oh, et al., issued Feb. 1, 2011, discloses a charge equalization apparatus, which allows the primary and secondary windings of a transformer to be fabricated. The apparatus controls the flow of charge to batteries depending on the charged states of series-connected batteries, and can prevent overcurrent from flowing into a battery currently being charged.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,254,930, to J. Daly, issued Oct. 19, 1993, discloses a battery charger for charging a plurality of batteries includes a voltage supply connected by a pair of switches to a power converter including a transformer having a primary winding and a plurality of secondary windings. Each secondary winding is coupled to a battery. Voltage is transferred from the voltage supply to the primary winding when the switches are closed and current is transferred from the secondary windings to the batteries when the switches are open. Charge control circuitry monitors the voltage of each battery and the total battery voltage and determines the amount of current to supply to the batteries. Supervisory logic monitors the current received from the secondary windings by each of the batteries and the voltage of each of the batteries to determine the charge status of each battery and the operating status of the power converter.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,664,762, to N. Kutkut, issued Dec. 16, 2003, discloses a battery charger for charging high voltage battery strings, which includes a DC-to-AC converter that drives the primary of a transformer having multiple secondaries. Each secondary winding has a corresponding output stage formed of a rectification circuit, output inductor, and output capacitor. The output terminals of the output stages are connectable either in parallel or series. In either configuration, inductor current and capacitor voltage automatically balance among the output stage circuits. A controller normally regulates output terminal voltage by operating in voltage mode, but limits current by operating in a current mode when the average of inductor currents exceeds a specified limit. Reconfiguration from parallel to series, or vice versa, is obtained physical reconnection of the output stage terminals and adjustment of a single voltage feedback scaling factor. Connecting the output stages in series to produce a high voltage output reduces voltage stresses on the rectification circuits and enables use of Schottky diodes to avoid reverse recovery problems.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,844,703, to S. Canter, issued Jan. 18, 2005, discloses a battery cell balancing system for a battery having a plurality of cells. The system includes a power supply and a plurality of transformer/rectifier circuits electrically coupled to the cells. Preferential charging occurs for a cell with the lowest state of charge. At least one current limiting device is electrically coupled to the transformer/rectifier circuits and the power supply. The current limiting device buffers a source voltage from a reflected voltage of at least one of the plurality of cells.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,939,965, to Oh, et al., issued May 10, 2011, discloses a charge equalization apparatus with series-connected battery cells and, more particularly, to a charge equalization apparatus, in which series-connected battery cells are connected in parallel with the primary windings of transformers, switches for controlling the flow of current of the primary windings are connected in series with the primary windings, and multiple secondary windings corresponding to the primary windings are connected in parallel with each other.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,313,080, to R. Park, issued Jan. 26, 1982, discloses a method for controlling the charging of fast discharge and recharge type propulsion battery components of engine-electric hybrid drive systems for road vehicles, wherein the control objectives are to, minimize discharge of gas through battery cell vents, minimize fuel use, allow employment of a small battery, and provide for long discharge-recharge cycle life.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,839,905, to J. Mantovani, issued Jun. 13, 1989, discloses an automatic amplifying and equalizing circuit for bipolar data signals that has first and second voltage controlled amplifiers controlled by the output of a peak detector. The first amplifier provides even amplification of frequency spectrum components of the data signals while the second amplifier provides amplification of only higher frequency spectrum components of the data signals to compensate for losses of differing length transmission lines. Switches in filtering and frequency dependent circuits provide for operation at several data rates.
United States Patent Application 2006/0125449, to T. Unger, published Jun. 15, 2006, discloses a duty cycle controller apparatus for producing a duty cycle signal for controlling switching of switches of a battery charger having an AC input for receiving power and an output for supplying power to charge a battery in response to switching of the switches, while maintaining a high power factor at the AC input. The duty cycle controller apparatus includes a current command signal generator having a plurality of signal inputs for receiving a plurality of signals representing a plurality of operating conditions of the charger, a plurality of current command outputs and a processor operably configured to generate a plurality of current command signals at the current command outputs in response to respective sets of operating conditions.
United States Patent Application 2011/0049977, to Onnerud et al., published Mar. 3, 2011, discloses an electric vehicle power system including a battery system, a bus configured to transfer power to a motor drive, and a control circuit to selectively couple the battery to the bus. The control circuit is discharges capacitance of the bus to a chassis in response to a disconnect between the battery and the bus. Further, the control circuit measures impedance across the bus. As a result, the control circuit can monitor integrity of the bus and detect a fault, such as a short circuit or degraded bus insulation.
United States Patent Application 2010/0283433, to Oh et al., published Nov. 11, 2010, discloses a charge equalization apparatus for batteries and, more particularly, to a charge equalization apparatus, in which the primary windings of a number of transformers corresponding to the number of battery cells are connected in parallel with each other, a switch for controlling the flow of current of the primary windings of the parallel-connected transformers is connected in series with the parallel-connected primary windings, respective secondary windings corresponding to the primary windings are connected in parallel with the battery cells, and the battery cells are connected in series with each other.
United States Patent Application 2003/0102845, to Aker et al., published Jun. 5, 2003, discloses a charger for high capacity. The charger preferably comprises a rectified AC input of single or preferably three phases, with an optional power factor corrected input, minimally filtered with high frequency, high ripple current capacitors, which is switched with a power switching circuit in the “buck” configuration into an inductor/capacitor output filter. Metallized film capacitors are employed, to minimize the rectified 350 Hertz AC component filtering while providing transient switch protection and ripple current requirements for the buck regulator, to provide a high current fast charger with substantially improved power factor. High power, high frequency switching with minimized output filter size provides a highly filtered DC output. The fast charger is adapted to be constructed in a modular design for simple maintenance.
United States Patent Application 2005/0024015 to Houldsworth et al., published Feb. 3, 2005, discloses a system for managing energy stored in a plurality of series connected energy storage units that has a plurality of energy storage unit controllers, each controller being associated with one of the plurality of energy storage units, a balancing circuit between two of the energy storage units, the balancing circuit being controlled by at least one of the energy storage unit controllers, a serial electrical interface between the energy storage unit controllers for providing voltage isolated bi-directional communication, and a central controller in electrical communication with the energy storage unit controllers.
United States Patent Application 2007/0047100, to Takahashi et al., published Mar. 1, 2007, discloses a backup unit which can insert and pull out its hot line into a switching power supply unit casing and has a secondary battery and its state monitoring/control unit is built in the unit, and proper charge/discharge management of the secondary battery can be made. When the backup unit is unnecessary, a backup unit formed by a plurality of capacitors whose hot lines can be similarly inserted and pulled out can be built in an enclosing space of the backup unit.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,489,048, issued Feb. 10, 2009, to King et al, discloses a battery load leveling system for an electrically powered system in which a battery is subject to intermittent high current loading, the system including a first battery, a second battery, and a load coupled to the batteries. The system includes a passive storage device, a unidirectional conducting apparatus coupled in series electrical circuit with the passive storage device and poled to conduct current from the passive storage device to the load, a series electrical circuit coupled in parallel with the battery such that the passive storage device provides current to the load when the battery terminal voltage is less than voltage on the passive storage device, and a battery switching circuit that connects the first and second batteries in either a lower voltage parallel arrangement or a higher voltage series arrangement.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,425,832, issued Sep. 16, 2008, to Gopal et al, discloses a method and system for measuring impedance and voltage characteristics of individual cells of multi-cell electrochemical devices, for example a battery or a fuel cell stack. The electrochemical system comprises a plurality of cells; a measuring device including a plurality of inputs connected across the plurality of cells to generate voltage and current signals indicative of voltage and current characteristics of the plurality of cells; a current supply/draw means for superimposing modulated current values through the plurality of cells; and a controller for controlling at least one system operating condition based on the voltage and current characteristics received from the measuring device, the controller being connected to the measuring device. The method comprises (a) superimposing modulated current values across a plurality of cells of the electrochemical device; (b) drawing current from the plurality of cells to generate voltage and current signals indicative of voltage and current characteristics of the plurality of cells; and, (c) controlling the at least one system operating condition based on the voltage and current characteristics of the plurality of cells, wherein the at least one system operating condition comprises at least one of temperature, humidity and reactant flow rates, within the electrochemical system.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,315,169, issued Jan. 1, 2008, to Fenske et al, discloses a fault indicator for indicating the occurrence of a fault in an electrical conductor that has a housing, a high capacity battery, at least one light emitting diode (LED) visible from the exterior of the fault indicator upon the occurrence of a fault, which may be automatically reset to a non-fault indicating position a predetermined time after the occurrence of the fault, and electronic circuitry for sensing a fault, for actuating the LEDs to indicate a fault and for resetting the LEDs to a non-fault indicating condition a predetermined time after the fault has occurred. The electronic circuitry conserves energy by drawing insubstantial current from the high capacity battery during non-fault conditions. The electronic circuitry may also include in-rush restraint to avoid false tripping of the fault indicator during surges. An inrush restraint circuit has an output signal that is logically combined with a fault indicator signal to disable the fault indicator during inrush conditions. An improved electrostatic sensor senses the electromagnetic field associated with a monitored conductor, provides less susceptibility to affects from adjacent conductors and provides operating power to the inrush restraint circuitry.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,963,197, issued Nov. 8, 2005, to Feight et al, discloses a fault indicator for indicating the occurrence of a fault in an electrical conductor that is reset at a predetermined time after the fault is detected, such as about 4 hours. The fault indicator has a housing, a high capacity battery, a fault sensor, a display for indicating a fault condition, and a programmable controller with a sleep state that draws low quiescent current. As a result, the battery is expected to last the lifetime of the fault indicator. The fault indicator may optionally include current inrush restraint and/or voltage inrush restraint to inhibit the controller from activating the display to the fault indicating condition during the inrush conditions. The electromagnetic field about the conductor causes an electrostatic sensor to develop a differential voltage signal between two electrodes of different areas for the voltage in rush restraint circuit. Auxiliary contacts are provided to remotely monitor the fault indicator.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,915,220, issued Jul. 5, 2005, to Cardinal et al. discloses an integrated battery monitoring device that includes a pair of input leads for coupling across the terminals of a battery cell to be monitored and a sensor for sensing a desired battery cell parameter. A self-contained power supply has the voltage across the battery cell terminals as an input thereto, the self-contained power supply being configured for providing power to the sensor. A pair of output leads communicates data generated by the sensor.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,844,799, issued Jan. 18, 2005, to Attarian et al, discloses a current sensor and current transformer for monitoring electrical current with a magnetic core having a mixture of magnetic materials to provide a low cost design in a compact configuration with an expanded dynamic range. The mixed material core can be fabricated either from stamped laminations or from coil stock and may include an air gap for activating a magnetic flux sensor. Multiple core configurations are disclosed.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,711,512, issued Mar. 23, 2004, to Noh, discloses a pole transformer load monitoring system using a wireless Internet network. The load monitoring system is capable of measuring, in real time, a variety of load parameters (phase voltages, phase currents and temperatures) of a pole transformer placed on a distribution line. The results of the measurements are transferred to an operator in a branch operating station over the wireless Internet network so as to prevent losses resulting from overloaded and unbalanced states.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,133,724, issued Oct. 17, 2000, to Schweitzer, Jr. et al, discloses a fault indicator contained within a protective equipment closure of the type used to house pad-mounted components of a power distribution system detects the occurrence of a fault current in a monitored conductor and provides a light indication thereof. The fault indicator includes a circuit monitoring module, having an integral fault indicator flag module, and a remote fault indicator light module. A status-indicating flag is rotatably mounted in the integral fault indicator flag module. The flag is positioned in either a reset indicating position or a fault indicating position by a magnetic pole piece, which is magnetized in one magnetic direction or the other by momentary application of a current in one direction or the other to an actuator winding on the pole piece. A magnetically actuated reed switch in an auxiliary magnetic circuit comprising an auxiliary pole piece magnetized by the actuator winding and a bias magnet magnetically aligned to oppose the reset magnetic orientation and reinforce the trip magnetic orientation of the magnetic pole piece closes upon occurrence of the fault current to connect an internal battery to an LED contained within the remote fault indicator light module so that the LED is visible from the exterior of the protective equipment enclosure. The light indication of the fault occurrence may be reset automatically by a timed reset circuit or manually by a manual reset circuit.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,018,239, issued Jan. 25, 2000, to Berkcan et al, discloses a self-powered axial current sensor for generating a signal which represents current in a power line includes, in one embodiment, a housing having a bus bar opening of substantially rectangular shape extending longitudinally therethrough. The housing also includes current sensor core retaining walls which define a current sensor region, and a cover base wall which defines, with one of the retaining walls, a power core region. A current sensor core and coil are located in the current sensor region and are positioned proximate the bus bar opening. The current sensor core and coil also are substantially symmetrical with respect to the center axis of the bus bar opening. The current sensor further includes a power core and a power coil located in the power core region and positioned substantially symmetrically with respect to the center axis of bus bar opening.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,002,260, issued Dec. 14, 1999, to Lau et al, discloses a fault sensor suitable for use in a heterogeneous power distribution system that executes a stored program and causes sufficient information to be collected to distinguish a source of fault current as being from a public utility portion of the power distribution network or from a distributed generator. Short circuit current and magnetizing current are distinguished based on differences in VI “signatures.” In addition, the fault sensor periodically senses a condition of a battery of the fault sensor. When the condition of the battery indicates the battery power is low, the fault sensor sends a digital data signal including a low battery indication to a remote location. Subsequent to occurrence of a sustained power outage, the sensor detects that power has been restored and sends to a remote location a digital data signal including an indication that power has been restored. The sensor periodically measures peak line voltage and peak line current and reports peak values to the remote location.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,969,625, issued Oct. 19, 1999, to Russo, discloses the method and the apparatus for detecting a deteriorating condition in a bank of standby batteries includes injecting an audio frequency current into one of the battery buses or cables, detecting an audio frequency current signal, matched to the injected audio frequency current signal, that is carried by the battery bus and detecting a voltage drop, at the audio frequency, across the bank of standby batteries. In one embodiment, current transformers are utilized in connection with an oscillator (to inject the AF current signal) and detection circuits (comparators and operational amplifiers) are utilized to generate a representative current signal and a representative voltage signal. The device detects when the standby batteries are operating in a normal, stable condition, that is, when the bank is neither being recharged nor is discharging DC power to the load. During normal, stable operating conditions, a differential relationship is established between the representative voltage and representative current signals. In one embodiment, a microprocessor-based system monitors the float voltage of the battery in order to ascertain when the battery system is in a normal, stable operating condition. The microprocessor also initially establishes the differential between the representative voltage and the representative current signals. The method includes determining when the differential relationship between the voltage and current signals exceeds a predetermined value and issues an alarm signal at that time. The alarm signal may be deferred until the differential relationship exceeds the predetermined value for a predetermined period of time. In one embodiment, this analysis is conducted in the microprocessor-based system.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,659,237, issued Aug. 19, 1997, to Divan et al, discloses a technique for charge equalization of a series connected string of battery cells. The secondary windings of a transformer having a single primary winding and multiple secondary windings are connected across each battery cell to be equalized. A single power converter applies a charging signal to the primary of the transformer, inducing a charging current in each secondary which is inversely related to the charge on the battery cells to be equalized. The transformer is preferably implemented as a coaxial winding transformer having low secondary-to-secondary winding coupling. The power converter is preferably implemented as a forward converter supplied with DC power from an adjustable DC power source. A source voltage provided by the DC source may preferably be adjusted during the course of charge equalization to preferentially direct charge to weaker cells. The charge equalization system may be used in combination with a bulk charging system to provide for both rapid charging of a battery string as well as equalization of the battery cells within the string.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,254,930, issued Oct. 19, 1993, to Daly, discloses a battery charger for charging a plurality of batteries that includes a voltage supply connected by a pair of switches to a power converter including a transformer having a primary winding and a plurality of secondary windings. Each secondary winding is coupled to a battery. Voltage is transferred from the voltage supply to the primary winding when the switches are closed and current is transferred from the secondary windings to the batteries when the switches are open. Charge control circuitry monitors the voltage of each battery and the total battery voltage and determines the amount of current to supply to the batteries. Supervisory logic monitors the current received from the secondary windings by each of the batteries and the voltage of each of the batteries to determine the charge status of each battery and the operating status of the power converter. If one battery continues drawing a greater proportion of the maximum current relative to the remaining batteries after the predetermined voltage limit has been reached, this indicates that there is a short circuited cell causing one battery to draw a greater proportion of current or that there is a cell with high impedance causing one battery to draw a smaller proportion of current. For both fault conditions, the supervisory circuit detects the current imbalance and generates a shutdown signal. The shutdown signal is also asserted when the supervisory circuit detects an over voltage condition in any of the batteries, or an over current in the primary winding. The shutdown signal subsequently precludes further operation of the charge control circuit for a predetermined time period, alerting the system operator of a problem within the battery backup system.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,081,737, issued Jul. 25, 2006, to Liu et al, discloses a monitoring circuit for monitoring a voltage level from each of a plurality of battery cells of a battery pack includes an analog to digital converter (ADC) and a processor. The ADC is configured to accept an analog voltage signal from each of the plurality of battery cells and convert each analog voltage signal to a digital signal representative of an accurate voltage level of each battery cell. The processor receives such signals and provides a safety alert signal based on at least one of the signals. The ADC resolution may be adjustable. A balancing circuit provides a balancing signal if at least two of the digital signals indicate a voltage difference between two cells is greater than a battery cell balance threshold. An electronic device including such monitoring and balancing circuits is also provided.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,983,212, issued Jan. 3, 2006, to Burns, discloses a battery management system for control of individual cells in a battery string. The battery management system includes a charger, a voltmeter, a selection circuit and a microprocessor. Under control of the microprocessor, the selection circuit connects each cell of the battery string to the charger and voltmeter. Information relating to battery performance is recorded and analyzed. The analysis depends upon the conditions under which the battery is operating. By monitoring the battery performance under different conditions, problems with individual cells can be determined and corrected.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,844,703, issued Jan. 18, 2005, to Canter, discloses a battery cell balancing system for a battery having a plurality of cells. The system includes a power supply and a plurality of transformer/rectifier circuits electrically coupled to the cells. Preferential charging occurs for a cell with the lowest state of charge. At least one current limiting device is electrically coupled to the transformer/rectifier circuits and the power supply. The current limiting device buffers a source voltage from a reflected voltage of at least one of the plurality of cells.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,583,603, issued Jun. 24, 2003, to Baldwin, discloses an apparatus and method for controllably charging and discharging individual battery cells or groups of battery cells in a string of batteries employed as a back-up power supply. The apparatus includes battery supply modules for at least partially isolating battery strings from the load bus and primary power supply. The partial isolation is effected by a switching network including two controlled switches arranged in parallel to selectively isolate the string of batteries. In certain disclosed embodiments, one of the controlled switches is turned on to connect the string of batteries to the load bus until the other controlled switch closes. The system includes a main power supply that supplies a power bus to a regulator in each battery supply module, which is used for charging the battery string, and a discharge bus to each battery supply module for discharging the batteries.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,982,143, issued Nov. 9, 1999, to Stuart, discloses an electronic battery equalization circuit that equalizes the voltages of a plurality of series connected batteries in a battery pack. The current waveform is in the shape of a ramp for providing zero current switching. The transformer has a primary winding circuit and at least one secondary winding circuit. In one embodiment, each secondary winding circuit is connected to a different pair of batteries. The equalizing current is provided to the lowest voltage batteries in one-half of the battery pack during one-half of the charging cycle. The equalizing current is then provided to the lowest voltage batteries in the other half of the battery pack during the other half of the charging cycle. In another embodiment, each secondary winding circuit is connected to a different single battery. The equalizing current is supplied to a lowest voltage battery in the battery pack during each half of the switching cycle. The electronic battery equalization circuit also includes a feedback control circuit coupled to the primary winding circuit for controlling the current from the equalizing current supply source. In another embodiment, optically coupled switches are connected to a battery voltage monitor to provide equalizing current to the lowest voltage even and odd numbered battery in the battery pack.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,923,148 issued Jul. 13, 1999, to Sideris et al, discloses an on-line battery monitoring system for monitoring a plurality of battery cells identifies and computes individual cell and battery bank operating parameters. The system comprises a controller for designating a given battery cell to be monitored, a multiplexer responsive to designation by the controller for selecting a given battery cell to be monitored or for selecting a battery pack to be monitored, an analog board for receiving electrical signals from a given battery cell for providing an output representing measurement of a parameter (voltage, temperature, and the like) of the given battery cell, a voltage sensor circuit for sensing voltage appearing across positive and negative terminals of the battery pack, and a control board responsive to address information for selectively initiating a load test, battery bank charging, or common-mode voltage measurement.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,666,040, issued Sep. 9, 1997 to Bourbeau, discloses a safe, low-cost battery monitor and control system. Electronic modules are connected to the terminals of respective batteries that make up a series string. Each module produces a go/no-go signal for each of four battery conditions: over-voltage, under-voltage, over-temperature and float-voltage, which are read by a network controller connected to each module via a single three-wire local area network. Based on the information received, the controller can adjust the charging current to the string, terminate the charge cycle, limit the current drawn from the string when in use, or disconnect the string from the system it is powering. The controller can record a history of the charge and discharge activity of each battery, so that the weakest batteries can be identified and replaced instead of scrapping the entire string. The system controls the charging current delivered to each battery during a charge cycle to insure that each battery is neither overcharged nor undercharged, by connecting a bypass circuit across the battery's terminals to reduce the charging current when an over-voltage condition is detected, or by reducing charge current to the string. A battery's voltage measurement is temperature compensated so that it can be accurately compared to temperature dependant limits. The addressable switch is bidirectional, so that the controller can, for example, force bypass resistors to be connected across selected batteries in order to heat up the batteries in a cold environment.
US Patent Publication 2007/0279003, published on Dec. 6, 2007, to Altemose et al, discloses a system for balancing charge between a plurality of storage battery cells within a storage battery. The battery balancing system sense changes, possibly caused by environmental influences, in the overall resonant frequency of charge balancing circuits contained within the battery balancing system. Using a phase locked loop based controller, the battery balancing system compensates for the change in resonant frequency by driving the battery balancing circuits at a frequency that matches the actual sensed resonant frequency of the battery balancing circuits.
An article by Kong Zhi-Guo et al, is entitled “Comparison and Evaluation of Charge Equalization Technique for Series Connected Batteries”. Power Electronics Specialists Conference, 2006. PESC '06. 37th IEEE 18-22 Jun. 2006, pp. 1-6.
An article by Jim Williams and Mark Thoren is entitled “Novel measurements circuit eases battery-stack-cell design”, EDN, Jan. 10, 2008, p. 47.
An article by N. H. Kutkut et al, is entitled “Charge equalization for series connected battery strings”, industry Applications, IEEE Transactions on Volume 31, Issue 3, May-June 1995 pp. 562-568.
The above approaches do not solve the aforementioned problems. According to the inventor, it would be desirable to provide a cell charge balancing system with minimal complexity, and provides electrical isolation for each cell. It would be desirable to keep the cost, number of connections, and weight to a minimum. Those of skill in the art will appreciate the present innovation that addresses the above and other problems.